Fred Bucheit hands Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark's first officer of the deck the ship's long glass in the traditional ceremony of setting the first watch Aug. 24, 2013. The officer of the deck is the commanding officer’s direct representative and, while on watch, is in charge of safety and smooth operation of the ship and crew. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jon-Paul Rios.

Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark was commissioned into service Aug. 24, 2013, at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Fla. The cutter’s namesake, Fireman First Class Paul Clark, was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism as a landing craft engineer in the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. After his boat was strafed by enemy aircraft, killing the bowman and severely injuring the coxswain, Fireman Clark took charge of the landing craft, evacuated his wounded shipmate to a nearby vessel, and returned to the beach to complete his mission.

Paul Clark is the sixth and final FRC to be homeported in Miami Beach and will provide support operations in the Seventh Coast Guard District, an area comprised of 1.8 million square nautical miles of ocean ranging from the South Carolina coast to the Caribbean. The Coast Guard recently accepted delivery of the seventh FRC, Charles David Jr, which will be the first of six FRCs to be homeported in Key West, Fla.